Can Standing Up Boost Thinking?

Denise Burson
Jan 12, 2009

Are we wasting learning time by having students sit too much? Dr. Max Vercruyssen, of the University of Southern California, discovered that the body's posture affects learning. His research showed that standing increases heartbeats by 10 extra times per minute. Standing sends more blood to the brain, which activates the central nervous system to increase neural firing. On the average, there is a 5-15% greater flow of blood and oxygen to the brain when standing. Researchers say standing up will create more attention arousal for learning.

Frequent physical breaks are important for every type of learner (adult and children) and in every type of learning situation. Through movement we can reduce stress, improve short-term memory, help our neurons communicate better and become more creative. Next time you notice that the group energy seems to be lagging, ask your learners to stand up and share with their partner.

Examples:
Tell your partner 3 important points you have learned so far.
Tell your partner one sentence that summarizes your learning.
Something new I learned today. . .

Use these exchanges as opportunities for distributed summarizing in your acquisition lessons.